Green Room

The fed govt is here for you: Proper “turducken” procedure

The “turducken” is a deboned stuffed chicken inside a deboned stuffed duck inside a deboned stuffed turkey. The name is comprised of syllables from the words “turkey,” “duck,” and “chicken.” Usually the tip end of the turkey leg bones and the first two wing joints are left on the turkey so that after assembly, the finished product resembles a whole turkey. Alternatively, the finished turducken can be a completely boneless roll with stuffing layered between each bird.

Stuffings may include cornbread dressing, sausage stuffing, oyster dressing, alligator, crawfish and shrimp. To serve, the roasted turducken is sliced crosswise so that servings consist of all the layers.

The idea for this multilayered, deboned fowl came from Louisiana where thousands of them are commercially prepared yearly. Turduckens are prepared in other States as well, and consumers also debone poultry and assemble them in home kitchens. …

Safe Handling of Turducken Ingredients

When creating a turducken at home, bring the raw birds directly home from the store and refrigerate (40 °F or below) immediately-within 2 hours (1 hour when the temperature is above 90 °F).

Make sure the raw poultry is wrapped securely and place it on a plate or casserole dish to prevent cross-contamination, or raw juices getting onto ready-to-eat food.

Store the raw turkey, duck, and chicken no longer than 2 days before deboning, assembling and cooking.

If the turducken has been purchased through mail order, make sure it arrives frozen with a cold source in an insulated carton. Transfer it immediately to the freezer. If the turducken arrives warm, notify the company. Do not use the product.

Refer to the USDA’s website for the full history and recipe– I mean, safety instructions (h/t Charlie Spiering).

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